Frustrations!

We've  been living between two homes for over a year now and I have reached a level of acceptance that it is going to be quite awhile longer. I am trying to focus on the daily happy things  that happen in our lives and pushing larger hopes and dreams to the way back of  my mind. I will just go with the flow as the level of anxiety was starting to creep into that dark zone that I never want to visit again. We will continue the work on our house and perhaps the housing market will recover better as right now we are in a buyers market to sell and a sellers market to buy and the housing prices are vastly different.

Things that make me happy...

An unexpected little rain shower that is helping the bulbs and seeds that I planted a few weeks ago grow. I am hoping to have a lovely little flower garden at the front of the cottage  that I can pick flowers for a bouquet on the table. In the picture to the left you can see the little ditch that I dug to keep my little flower garden from washing away.

My Crafting... I'm always happiest when I am creating.  I've really enjoyed this past weeks creative sessions and am looking forward to what the next couple weeks holds ... meeting some new card makers, sewing quilt blocks and perhaps some sewing of clothes for myself. Here are a few of the things I made this week...

 And of course these 3 Cottage Kitties always make my heart happy...

Potholders and Blackberries

Insul-Bright as it comes from the store.

Squares of Insul-Bright waiting to be made into 8 potholders - 2 per potholder

My first potholder; waiting for a square of batting to be added to the center before I close it up and stitch around the edges.

I am really enjoying making these potholders and yes one will be for ME. Perhaps I will make one to match the project for my friend as well.


This morning I decided to move a raised bed that wasn't producing a thing by the fence next to the driveway. I've moved it to the front yard and filled it so I could plant the blackberry plants that I got from Gurney's in that Grab Bag. I think the Blackberries look quite happy now...

Along the front of the bed I transplanted some straggly looking mint that was growing in this bed when it was by the fence. As soon as I can I want to add a top dressing of more dirt and manure but I will wait a bit to give the blackberries a chance to settle in.

Planting time

Last night I visited the Clemson Extensions website to find out what I can plant now and discovered it's quite a lot. Here is the list for what can be planted outdoors now in Central South Carolina:

Beets; Broccoli; Cabbage; Carrots; Collards; Lettuce; Mustard; onion sets and seeds; peas; potatoes (Irish); Radishes; spinach and turnips.

And indoors I need to start tomatoes and peppers.

So if it warms up  a bit this afternoon I'm going to go out to the garden and clean up some of the raised beds and prepare them for planting. I really want a good garden this year.

This morning while it's still nippy I will finish up the laundry - is that ever really possible to happen.

I'm Back!

I've been doing a bit of sewing and watching the flowers bloom the past couple days and reading. It's been ever so long since I read a trashy novel so I figured it was about time to pick one up at the library. Just finished reading A Cottage by the Sea by: Ciji Ware. It was an intriguing story and I enjoyed reading it.

I also watched a couple episodes of Wire in the blood on Hulu. It is quite "dark" and Scott says it's too dark for him but I love shows like that - Crime Dramas.

All in all today was just a goof off day for me and I think that I needed it.

OK... back to the sewing...














I received the fabric and notions for the small bag swap that I am in with my on-line quilting group. Now to get my creative juices going... Should be interesting. I also made some "square in a square blocks" for another swap that I am in with the same group. I think I will uses the ones that I get in return to make a table runner or topper. It will be a scrappy project as everyone is just sending what they want; there is no color scheme assigned to this swap - perhaps next time there will be. We have so many wonderful swaps planned for this year.




Flowers...






















I just had to take another photo of the white hydrangea (supposed to turn shades of pink as the blooms age) this is the first time since I planted it that I've actually been home enough to enjoy it from start to finish.

The Lantana by the lamp post is just starting to put on it's show and the butterflies and the hummingbirds absolutely adore it. I would plant an entire hedgerow with this stuff if I could.

The yellow squash flower is on our "mystery squash" vine that came up volunteer. Perhaps I will post a picture of the strangely shaped fruit that it is producing; I've never seen anything quite like it before.

And the white flower is a "Rose of Sharon" that I got in an on-line plant swap years ago. I have several colors but so far this year only the white one has bloomed.

Mail... I got such a lovely surprise from my Mom - a box full of brown fabrics for my quilt stash. OH SUCH LOVELY FABRICS! And such a wonderful loving note too...

And an EXTRA bonus surprise... A NOTE FROM ABBY ! I drew and colored a picture for her today and mailed it out so she will get a letter from Aunt Bec in the mail this weekend.